Motor-vehicle extension drive-shaft



" G. s. nAvIsoN. A

MOTOR VEHICLE EXTENSION DRIVE SHAFT.

Reissued July 12, 1921.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4 I9I\6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUY S. DAVISON, OF HOLDERNESS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR, B'Y MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T THE LONGFORD COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

`MOTORVEHICLE EXTENSION 'DRIVE-SHAFT.

Specification of.Reissued Letters Patent. Reissud July 12 1921 l l l OriginarNo. 1,163,643, dated December 14, 1915, Serial No. 21,299, led April 14, 1915. Application for reissue ledfllay 4, 1916. Serial No. 95,477.

To all 'whom it concern.'

Be it known that I, GUY S.. DAvrsON,

citizen of the United States, residing at Holderness, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicle Extension Drive-Shafts, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to the drive shaft of automobiles and other motor vehicles, and one object is to provide an extension shaft by means of which the Wheel base of the car may be lengthened, thus enabling a short car to be changed to a truck or other large commercial car.,

The invention also has for its object to provide a structure which enables the change to be readily made, and Without altering the structure of the car driving mechanism.

In carrying out my invention I provide mechanism which will maintain the rear or main drive shaft, the rear or driving axle, and the differential gears transmitting motion from the drive shaft to the axle in ex-` actly the same relative position as said Barts are originally built and intended to l. so

e used. Thls .feature is of special importance as the driving strain. on differential or other transmission gears is exactly calculated for the original structure, and by maintaining this original relative position,

angularly and actually with regard both to the engine and the driving axle, it is feasible to secure a longer Wheel base and hence reater carrying capacity for an automoile without undue and unexpected strain on the structure of the car driving mechanism.

I have discovered that, by lengthening the wheel base of an automobile, greater carrystructure of the car driving mechanism Without imposing upon the same any undue strains, torsions or binding actionsA and therefore Will insure the smooth and even running ofthe lengthened car driving mechanlsm as effectively as in the original unlengthened chassis. In carrying out my invention, I, therefore, follow the principle above outlined and to this end I provide an extension shaftadapted to lit upon and carry out the alinement of the driving shaft from the motor or transmission gear therefrom, of a length equal to the increased length of wheel baseV desired, extending the -side bars or frame 'of the chassis and applylng a cross bracket or like supporting member Where the short motor shaft extension and the driving shaft to the rear axle are connected. This enables me to simply disconnect the driving shaft of a car from themotor s'haft, m ove the rear axle, differential and said driving shaft rearwardly tothe lesired position for increased lengthl desired and interpose ashort extension shaft uniting said drlvlng shaft With the motor shaft and with said extension being substantially in alinement With the motor shaft. The latter feature 1s most important in practice, and, as above noted, enables a lengthened Wheel base of a car to be easily, quickly, economically and readily constructed Without altering the structure of the car driving mechanlsm. It is usual in motor cars, as now constructed, to have the motor shaft and the transmission gearing adjacent thereto substantially horizontal With the side frames, Whereas the drive shaft connected with the rear axle and the differential therein is at an angle, extending downwardly at an an le from the side frames to the rear axle. y invention enables exactly this angle to be maintained in the car with the lengthened wheel base andWith the extension member in alinement with the motor shaft and substantially horizontal. lVith the addition of a single cross bracket or bearingfor the junction of the short extension shaft 4and the rear angularly positioned drive shaft, a considerable increase in length of Wheel base can be secured. v

The objects stated are attainedby means of a novel combination and arrangement of parts claimed and in order that the invention may to be hereinafter described and accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the inven` tion, artly in section; and iig. 3 is a cross-section on the line of Fig. 2. A

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the? transmission sha-ft of the car, the same being operatively connected at its rear end, through theusual differential driv`` ing ear,N to the rear axle` of the car.` Ordi-V nari y, the shaft 5 is directly connected to the motor drive shaft 6 of the change-speed transmission gearing, but as it is the object of the invention to lengthen the wheel base" of the machine, there has been fi terpos'ed between the shafts 5 and 6 an extension shaft 7 kthe length of the latter corresponding to the desired increase in the length of the wheel base.` The rear endl of this vextensionv shaft is connected by a universal` 'oint 8 to the transmission shaft 5, and 'at itsforward end may also be connected by a universal joint 9 to the shaft 6, or in" any other suitable manner. The rotation of, the shaft is therefore transmitted to the shaft 5 through the 'extension shaft 7 antiM Fig. 2 is a plan view; 3--3 substantially `in the samefrelative alinement and arrangement as originally designed.

The extension shaft 7 is housed in a tube 1() having at its forward end a bearin 11 which supports the corresponding'en of said shaft. This end'of the tube also has a globular enlargement 12 yin which is housed. the universal joint 9. The-bearin v `11 is provided with a grease cup 13. i washer 14 encircling the housing 12 secures the forward end of the tubey to the transmission case, ythewasher being bolted to said case.

. The rear end ofthe 'tube 10 is supported by a hanger 15 extending transversely between the side bars 16 of the car rame and bolted or otherwise secured thereto. The hanger has, midway betweenits ends, an opening in which seats and is secured a coupling member 17 which is (lished to fit in the opening and has on one side a tubular extension 18 extending into the rearl X, location to whichthe 'car is 'len real' The advantages of thus lengthening the wheel base, and driving shaft of an automobile while maintaining the' entire structure of the car driving mechanismy substantially in its original deslgned construction, alinement and arrangement, will be ap reciated, especially when it is realized t at' the transmission gears, bearings, and the like, are'all originally constructed forco ration. Furthermore', my invention enab es all the origi nal parts of the car driving mechanism to be retained and utili`Zed,-the 'only essentialv elementsA being the short extension drive shaft and the intermediatebracket orhanger 15 to support and maintain the driving shaft 5 in ,the same angularV osition in the new hened. My invention is'further descri ed and defined in the forinof-claims as follows: a

' 1. The. combination; the transmission ,and drive shafts of a motor vehicle, of mechj' "anism adapted to lengthen the wheel-base of salida/chicle, comprising means to extend the wheels, supporting axle, and transmis lsion, shaft operatively connected therewith. from thev motor drive shaft rearwardly, means carried by the side frames to support and maintain the transmission shaft at substantiall'ythe same angle with the rear axle, I

in said moved position, as in its former position, and means to connect the' motor drive shaft with said transmission shaft in its new i position. A

2. The combination, with the transmission and drive shafts of a motor vehicle, of mechanism adapted to change the wheel base-` from a small car to a large truck, 'compris-,-V

ing' means to space the rear wheels, axle and transmlssion shaft operatively i connected therewith, from their original position ad-V jaeent the motor` drive shaft, a cross bracket 1 to support the transmission shaft in substantially the same angle -with the'rear axle"'"a.s in its original posltion, a bearing in said .ing 20 of the shaft end of the tube 10 and serving as ar support bracket for the transmission shaft and an for the tube anda bearingfor the rear end extension shaft from the motor to said crossA of the shaft'7. Thisrb'earin is also probracket, operatively connecting the transf i vided with a grease cup 19. e member 17 mission shaft with said motor drive shaft.`

is bolted or otherwise rigidly fastened to` 3i The combination, with the transiission the hanger, the wall of theopenin in the and drive shafts of a motorvehic1e,.oflmechlatter being beveled so that said mamie fit snugly therein. The usual tubular hous- 5 is retained at its forto space the rear wheels, ax e an vtransward end to the member 17, said end of mission shaft operatively `connected-itherethe housing, in conjunction with the memwith, from their original position, including a cross bracket to support thel transmission r 'may 'anism adapted-to change the Wheel base ofl a' small car to a large truck, com risi '-meansf ,ber 17, forming a housing which incloses the "plied I to the car after disconnectingl t e shafts 5 iin/d6, andmoving the former, with shaft, an extension shaft connecting the mo- 180 shaft in substantially the same angle with the rear axle as in 1ts'original position, a

bearing in said bracket for the transmission tor drive shaft and said transmission shaft, including a universal joint interposed at one of the connecting ends of said extension shaft.

4. The combination, with the transmission and drive shafts of a motor vehicle, of mechanism adapted to change the wheel base from a small-car to a large truck, comprisingmeans to space the rear wheels, axle and transmission shaft operatively connected therewith, from their original position, a cross bracket to support the transmisslon shaft in substantially the same angle with the rear axle as in its original position, said bracket having an opening to receive a dished member therein, an extension shaft connected to the motor drive shaft and in alinement therewith, extending to said bracket, an inclosing tube for said extension shaft carrying a dished member adapted to t Within said bracket opening, and a bearing for said extension shaft adjacent said bracket.

5. The combination with the transmission and the drive shafts of a motor-vehicle; of an extension shaft interposed between said shafts, to the respective ends of which extension shaft the transmission and the drive shafts are flexibly connected, a tube inclosing the extension shaft and having a globular enlargement at one end in which is housed the flexible connection between said shaft and the transmission shaft, means for fastening said end Iof the tube to the transmission case, a transverse hanger carried by thetframe of the vehicle and having an opening, and a dished member secured in said opening and havin a tubular extension seating in the rear en of the tube, said extension also having a bearing for the extension shaft.

6. The combination with the transmission and the drive shafts` of a motor vehicle; vof an extension shaft interposed between said shafts, to the' respective ends of which extension shaft the transmision and the drive shafts are flexibly connected, a tube inclosing the extension shaft and having a globulary enlargement at one end in whlch is housed the flexible connection between said shaft and the transmission shaft, means for fastening said end of the tube to the transmission case, a transverse hanger carried by ,the frame of the vehicle and having an opening, a dished member secured in said open-` ing and having a tubular extension seating in the rear end of the tube, said extension also having a, bearing for the extension shaft, and a tubular housing inclosing the drive shaft and having a housing part operating -in conjunction with the aforesaid dished member to inclose the flexible connection between the drive shaft and the extension shaft.l

In testimony whereof I have signed my name hereto in the presence of two witnesses.

GUY S. DAVISON.

Witnesses:

WM. A. KIMBALL, C. V. Ams. 

